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New Releases March 28—April 3 and Readers Choice Contest

We close out the month of March and move into the first few days of April with the list of new releases this week. There are more than thirty new books on the list this week. Some really good choices.

What do you want to read this week? As always, leave a comment telling me the book you’d most like to win, and maybe random.org will make your wishes come true. Your choice of print or digital unless otherwise stated. International? Of course! As long as Book Depository delivers to your country, please enter. If you’d prefer the first book in a series listed here, that’s okay, too.

Echoes (The Epherium Chronicles #3), by T.D. Wilson, (March 30, Carina Press)
The battle for Cygni colony may be over, but for Captain James Hood and the crew of the EDF Armstrong, the battle for humanity’s future has just begun. Hood’s defense of the remote outpost against the Cilik’ti aliens was magnificent, but without the timely help of an unlikely ally, a splinter tribe of humanity’s bitter enemies, the colony would have been lost and the Armstrong destroyed. As the humans prepare for a crucial meeting, a desperately needed Earth supply convoy is attacked. The lead escort cruiser’s captain disappears mysteriously. The fate of all of Earth’s new colonies hangs in the balance. Hood is charged with protecting them against growing threats from all sides. When rebellion and unrest challenge the very leadership of the Earth Defense Forces, Hood may need to go it alone, and make the ultimate sacrifice. (ebook only)

The Void (The Tanner Sequence #3) by Timothy S. Johnston, (March 30, Carina Press)
Transporting a serial killer might seem like a simple job for CCF Homicide Investigator Kyle Tanner. Babysitting a prisoner will bring him to Alpha Centauri, where he can search for a way to escape the CCF forever. When his ship breaks down in deep space and a CCF research vessel comes to his aid, Tanner realizes he’s in terrible danger: the scientists on board have blocked his distress call. When Tanner’s prisoner escapes, he begins to suspect that the proximity of the research vessel had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with the CCF’s relentless reach. Tanner must unravel a tangled skein of vengeance, duplicity and murder in deep space. He’s being held at the will of master puppeteers, and if he can’t cut the strings, he’ll dance straight to a gruesome, excruciating death. (ebook only)

Being Emerald (New Atlanta #3), by Sylvia Ryan, (March 31, Kensington)
Laila Lewis has finally attained the prestige of an Emerald designation. Now only one thing is keeping her from her life’s goal of retrieving the Declaration of Independence and other priceless artifacts from the wild unknown of the Onyx Zone: the six weeks of training necessary to ensure her survival outside the city walls. After a year as a designated Emerald, rugged, sensual ex-cop Rock Rodgers is finally prepared to leave New Atlanta for good. Six weeks of training is the only thing standing between him and his next mission: to disappear into the freedom of the Onyx Zone where the long-armed rule of the Gov can’t reach him. But when the chemistry between him and Laila reaches a boiling point, with captivity just one false move away, will he have to escape on his own, or risk everything for a woman more tempting than freedom. (ebook only)

Cursed by Ice (Immortal Brothers #2), by Jacquelyn Frank, (March 31, Ballantine)
As punishment for plotting with his brothers to steal immortality, Garreth is suffering a freezing torment until the end of time. His fierce fighter’s physique is frozen into a chiseled ice sculpture, his heart hardening like a diamond in his chest, only to thaw and resume the chilling torture. He is offered a reprieve from a goddess, in exchange for his allegiance in a celestial civil war. Garreth lives to fight and fights to live. While laying siege to an embattled city, he finds another reason to go on, a beautiful warrior woman named Sarielle, who commands a mythic beast through a mysterious and powerful bond. The city rulers have kept her captive, and now she refuses to submit to a new master. As Garreth seeks to unleash her passion and melt the icy resistance of her heart, will he become her salvation, or lead them both to greater destruction?

Etherworld (Elusion #2), by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam, (March 31, Katherine Tegen)
Elusion was hailed as an exciting leap in technology, until users began to disappear amid rumors of addiction. Regan’s search for the truth led her and her new love interest, Josh, to Etherworld. Etherworld is a dimension hidden deep beyond Elusion’s firewall, where players can hide, and ultimately fight back. Regan’s father and others are here working to destroy Etherworld, but the longer they stay the less likely they’ll be able to return to the real world alive. Escape means attacking Elusion from within the program. It’s dangerous and it’s a puzzle. And even if they manage it, how will they be able to stop Orexis from distributing Elusion to the masses when the people who run it are corrupt?

Firestorm (Deadtown #6), by Nancy Holzner, (March 31, Ace)
When Vicky allowed an ancient goddess to possess her, she had no regrets, it was the only way to protect the people she loved. But now Ceridwen, locked in a power struggle with the Hellion that long ago claimed Vicky with its mark, refuses to leave. Both beings believe controlling Vicky is the key to winning the coming war for the human realm. Despite the forces pulling her apart, Vicky needs all her wits about her. The demons of Hell are growing bold and she can barely keep up with the attacks plaguing the city: sirens in the Mystic River, goblins snarling traffic on Storrow Drive, imps tearing the gold from the State House dome. As the signs of war multiply and Hell threatens to overrun its boundaries, Vicky finds herself torn between her duty to save the world and her desire to save something of herself.

Hard as a Rock (Gargoyles #3), by Christine Warren, (March 31, St. Martin’s)
Her name is Wynn Powe. Wynn has returned to Chicago to do what she does best: Locate Guardian statues. The Order of Eternal Darkness has beat her to the punch, and the statue she’s come to investigate has been blown to smithereens. An elusive enemy is on her trail, and this time, she’s on her own. Until a mysterious package falls into Wynn’s hands that contains a chunk of old stone, along with instructions for the spell required to summon a new Guardian. Enter Knox. He’s a Guardian magically embued with the skills and memories of his race. Bound to Wynn as his Warden, Knox vows to learn the truth about the destroyed Guardian. Is his desire for Wynn worth the risk of being destroyed by the Order? The only thing he knows for sure is that he won’t go down without a fight. Nor will he pass up a night of pure blind passion.

Hellbender (Fangborn #3), by Dana Cameron, (March 31, 47North)
I-Day is near at hand, and soon the Fangborn will reveal themselves to humankind. As a member of this secretive race of werewolves, vampires, and oracles, will archaeologist Zoe Miller be prepared? Still grappling with the newfound powers she gained after opening Pandora’s box, Zoe shares the responsibility of protecting “Normal” humans. She knows the pending revelation of the Fangborn will set the world on fire. With Fangborn enemies in the Order of Nicomedia forcing their hand, Zoe and her supernatural Family have no choice but to step into the spotlight. That decision has garnered the attention of the powerful and otherworldly beings known as the Makers. They claim to have created the Fangborn, not as saviors, but as predators. And it seems they have their own plans for Zoe, and for the fate of all the Fangborn.

Instinct (Chronicles of Nick #6), by Sherrilyn Kenyon, March 31, St. Martin’s Griffin)
Zombies, demons, vampires, shapeshifters, another day in the life of Nick Gautier, and those are just his friends. Now that he’s accepted the demon that lives inside him, he must learn to control it and temper the emotions that threaten the lives of everyone he cares for. Not easy while trying to stay off the menus of those who want his head on a platter. No one wants him more than the dark gods who created his race. They will stop at nothing to reclaim him. And without knowing it, Nick has just embraced the one person he should never have trusted. The one person who will hand him over to his enemies to get back the life they lost. Nick has finally accepted his fate, now he must learn to defy his destiny, and the dark, deadly forces that will stop at nothing to destroy everyone he loves so that they can again return to the world of man and own it.

King of Thieves–Star Rogue (Odyssey One #5), by Evan Currie, (March 31, 47North)
Earth’s survivors face devastating new challenges in the wake of recovering from an alien conflict. Battered and mourning tremendous losses, the once fractious peoples of enemy nations must work together to rebuild their shattered world, and prevent the possibility of their attackers’ return. What they don’t know is that a new, deadlier enemy unlike anything they’ve ever faced will usher in the dawn of another war. Captain Morgan Passer commands the Rogue Class destroyer Autolycus, charged with an interstellar recon mission to detect traces of the repelled enemy while gathering information for the fortification of Earth’s defenses. What the expedition finds instead is a deeply disturbing mystery: a discovery that redefines everything they thought they knew about Earth’s place in the galaxy, and reveals deadly new horrors.

King (The Dragon King Chronicles #3), by Ellen Oh, (March 31, HarperTeen)
Girl warrior, demon slayer, Tiger spirit of the Yellow Eyes, Kira is ready for her final quest. All eyes are on her. Kira, once an outcast in her home village of Hansong, is now the only one with the power to save her kingdom. She must save her cousin, the boy fated to be the future king, uncover the third lost treasure, and face innumerable enemies in order to fulfill the famed prophecy. Kira braves a sea of tigers and battles armies of demons as she musters her inner strength and learns to trust herself, the romantic feelings for Jaewon that are growing within her, and the destiny that must be hers.

Marked Fur Murder (Whiskey, Tango & Foxtrot Mystery #3), by Dixie Lyle, (March 31, St. Martin’s)
Deirdre “Foxtrot” Lancaster is fed up with all the goings-on at billionaire Zelda Zoransky’s mansion. ZZ is hosting yet another one of her famous salons. Her nutty guests have more than their fair share of odd requests and strange demands. Friend Ben’s estranged sister has been found dead in Zelda’s pool, an apparent suicide, with a hairdryer floating beside her. Yet Foxtrot doesn’t buy it. Being a Thunderbird runs in Ben’s family, and as the old saying goes, “you can’t kill a Thunderbird with lightening.” It’s clear someone is trying to disguise a murder. Is it the renowned psychic who works with a painting dog? The slightly-schizophrenic transsexual writer of mysteries and children’s books? The weather expert? It’s a tall task, but with her fuzzy, slinky sleuths and a little bit of luck, Foxtrot might just solve her biggest mystery yet.

Night’s Blaze (Dark Kings #5), by Donna Grant, (March 31, St. Martin’s)
The Rhys who has existed for centuries is gone. Stripped of his ability to shift forms, Rhys can no longer embody the majestic, powerful dragon he was at birth. This Dragon King must remain a man, haunted by demons who torment his every waking moment. The darkness would swallow him whole, except a woman so beautiful and haunted becomes the one beam of light in his world. Lily Ross is taking the first step in building a new life for herself. Still reeling from a relationship that nearly broke her spirit, Lily is wary of her attraction to brawny, brooding Rhys. The passion burning so brightly between them is a potent temptation, but any entanglement is destined to end in disaster. When a spectre from Lily’s past threatens their growing bond, Rhys is forced to choose with his heart, or lose this woman who has become his one chance at salvation.

Pyramid (Jack Howard #8), by David Gibbins, (March 31, Dell)
For thousands of years, Egypt was a rich, ingenious civilization. Then it became a fertile hunting ground for archaeologists and explorers. Now the streets of Cairo teem with violence as a political awakening shakes the region. Jack Howard and his team of marine archaeologists have gathered pieces of a fantastic puzzle. Howard has connected a mystery hidden inside a great pyramid to a fossilized discovery in the Red Sea and a 150-year-old handwritten report of a man who claims to have escaped a labyrinth beneath Cairo. For that, his team is stalked by a brutal extremist organization that will destroy any treasure they find. Jack fights for a discovery that will shed an astounding new light on the greatest story ever told: Moses’s exodus from Egypt and the true beginnings of a new chapter in human history. (U.S. Release)

Sea of Stars (Kricket #2), by Amy A. Bartol, (March 31, 47North)
Kricket Hollowell was looking for her place in the world when she discovered that the universe was bigger, and more dangerous, than she had ever dreamed. Whisked across space to the planet Ethar, Kricket learns that her genetic ability to see the future makes her a sought-after commodity, and the catalyst for war between her star-crossed parents’ clans. According to Alameedan prophecy, one house will rise to power and the other will be completely wiped out, and Kricket’s precognition is believed to be the weapon that will tip the scales. Kricket finds protection, and a home, in the arms of Trey, her Etharian bodyguard-turned-boyfriend. Her visions of what’s to come disturb her deeply, especially since she must discover whether the gift of foresight will allow her to rewrite the future, or if her fate is as immovable as the stars.

Storm Warned (Grim #3), by Dani Harper, (March 31, Montlake Romance)
When Caris’s unearthly musical talent attracts the attention of the Wild Hunt, the Welsh farm girl is stolen away to serve as a faery grim, a herald of death. Two centuries later, she’s finally escaped back to the human world, and into the present-day life of a reclusive and heartbroken American musician. Music was Liam’s whole life, until a crushing betrayal left him desperate to flee the public eye. Yet long-dormant passions awaken after a powerful storm strands a beautiful, strong-willed woman on his isolated farm. When a Fae prince bent on ruling both human and Faery realms threatens Caris’s life, Liam must decide if he can finally believe in love again, not just for her sake, but for the sake of two worlds.

The Diamond Conspiracy (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #4), by Philippa Ballantine and Tee Morris, (March 31, Ace)
Having narrowly escaped the electrifying machinations of Thomas Edison, Books and Braun are looking forward to a relaxing and possibly romantic voyage home. When Braun’s emergency signal goes off, all thoughts of recreation vanish. Braun’s street-wise team of child informants, the Ministry Seven, is in grave peril, and Books and Braun must return to England immediately. When the intrepid agents finally arrive in London, the situation is even more dire than they imagined. The Ministry has been disavowed, and the Department of Imperial Inconveniences has been called in to decommission its agents in a deadly fashion. The plan reeks of the Maestro’s dastardly scheming. This time, he has a dangerous new ally, a duplicitous doctor whose pernicious poisons have infected the highest levels of society, reaching even the Queen herself.

The Early Jack Vance, Volume Five: Grand Crusades, edited by Terry Dowling and Jonathan Strahan, (March 31, Subterranean)
Grand journeys among the stars-, pursuits, quests, explorations and encounters. Whether to have Kirth Gersen roam the Oikumene and Beyond tracking down his five Demon Princes or to strand Adam Reith on far-off Tschai. Or, as in this present volume, to take Earth¬style opera to the non¬human folk of distant Rlaru, to study the much coveted tree-pod dwellings on Iszm, to follow the clues in five gold bands to the knowledge that lets a handful of races control all space travel in the universe, or to endure servitude at the hands of ruthless alien overlords. The five early tales featured in ”Grand Crusades: The Early Jack Vance, Volume Five” take us on a fascinating selection of journeys, showing us how the future was in the earlier years of his writing career.

The Originals: The Loss (The Originals #2), by Julie Plec, (March 31, HQN Books)
Family is power. The Original vampire family swore it to each other a thousand years ago. They pledged to remain together always and forever. But even when you’re immortal, promises are hard to keep. After a hurricane destroyed their city, Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah Mikaelson have rebuilt New Orleans to even greater glory. The year is 1766. The witches live on the fringes in the bayou. The werewolves have fled. But still, Klaus isn’t satisfied. He wants more. He wants power. But when Klaus finally finds a witch who will perform a spell to give him what he desires most, she secretly uses Klaus to unleash a curse, one that brings back hundreds of her ancestors, and begins a war to reclaim New Orleans. As the siblings fight off the attack, only one thing’s for certain, the result will be a bloodbath.

The Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood #13), by J.R. Ward, (March 31, NAL)
Sold by his parents to the Queen of the S’Hsibe as a child, Trez escaped the Territory and has been a pimp and an enforcer in Caldwell, NY for years, all the while on the run from a destiny of sexual servitude. He’s never had anyone he could totally rely on except for his brother, iAm. It’s not until the Chosen Serena enters Trez’s life that the male begins to turn things around. The pledge to mate the Queen’s daughter comes due and there is nowhere to run. Trez must decide whether to endanger himself and others, or forever leave behind the female he’s in love with. But then an unimaginable tragedy strikes and changes everything. Staring out over an emotional abyss, Trez must find a reason to go on or risk losing himself and his soul forever. And iAm, in the name of brotherly love, is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice.

The Skull Throne (Demon Cycle #4), by Peter V. Brett, (March 31, Del Rey)
The Skull Throne of Krasia stands empty. Built from the skulls of fallen generals and demon princes, it is a seat of honor and ancient, powerful magic, keeping the demon corelings at bay. Ahmann Jardir was meant to conquer the known world. Arlen Bales, the Warded Man, stood against this course, challenging Jardir to a duel he could not in honor refuse. Arlen cast them both from a precipice. Inevera, Jardir’s first wife, must find a way to keep their sons from killing each other and plunging their people into civil war. Leesha Paper and Rojer Inn struggle to forge an alliance between the duchies of Angiers and Miln against the Krasians before it is too late. Caught in the crossfire is the duchy of Lakton, ripe for conquest. The corelings have been growing stronger, and without Arlen and Jardir there may be none strong enough to stop them.

The Unleashing (Call of Crows #1), by Shelly Laurenston, (March 31, Kensington)
Kera Watson never expected to face death behind a Los Angeles coffee shop. Not after surviving two tours lugging an M16 around the Middle East. If it wasn’t for her hot Viking customer showing up too late to help, nobody would even see her die. In uncountable years of service to the Allfather Odin, Ludvig “Vig” Rundstrom has never seen anyone kick ass with quite as much style as Kera. He knows one way to save her life, but she might not like it. Signing up with the Crows will get Kera a new set of battle buddies: cackling, gossiping, squabbling, party-hearty women. Vig can’t give up on someone as special as Kera. With a storm of oh-crap magic speeding straight for L.A., survival will depend on combining their strengths: Kera’s discipline, Vig’s loyalty, and the Crows’ sheer love of battle. Boy, are they in trouble.

The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die #2), by Danielle Paige, (March 31, Harper Collins)
To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die. But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past, and that Kansas, the home she couldn’t wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust, and who is really Wicked?

Throne of Darkness (Something Red #3), by Douglas Nicholas, (March 31, Atria/Emily Bestler)
It’s 1215 in northwest England, and mystical Irish queen Maeve and her unlikely band of warriors must protect the region from a chilling fate. Word of a threat reaches the Northern barons: King John has plotted to import an African sorcerer and his sinister clan of blacksmiths, whose unearthly powers may spell destruction for the entire kingdom. Along with her lover, Jack, her gifted niece, Nemain, and Nemain’s newlywed husband, Hob (whose hidden talents will soon be revealed), Maeve must overcome a supernatural threat unlike any she’s seen before.

Total Surrender (Sin Brothers #4), by Rebecca Zanetti, (March 31, Forever)
Piper Oliver knows she can’t trust him. They warned her that the tall, sexy black-ops soldier Jory Dean would try to win her over with his steel-gray eyes and charm, but she won’t be conned by this man they call a traitor. All she has to do is figure out the science necessary to save his life, and she’s done. Something isn’t adding up, and she won’t rest until she uncovers the truth, even if it’s buried in his deep, dangerous kiss. Jory will do anything to reunite with and save his brothers, even kidnap the gorgeous woman who’s working to deactivate the deadly chip in their spines. The forces determined to destroy his family won’t let them go so easily. Keeping Piper alive is more than he bargained for, and so is his burning desire for her. With every second bringing him closer to certain death, can he afford to lose himself in her hot and willing embrace?

Twist (Loop #2), by Karen Akins, (March 31, St. Martin’s Griffin)
Bree Bennis finally has it all, a non-comatose mother, a boyfriend named Finn, and a newfound mission to protect the timeline from those who would skew it for their own gain. When she leans over one day to kiss Finn, her lips meet those of her arch-nemesis Wyck instead. The timeline has been altered. When she goes back to repair the damage, she is stopped by her Future Self, who delivers an urgent message: Someone is kidnapping Shifters from the distant past. Bree reluctantly accepts her new undercover gig as Wyck’s girlfriend. Finn shows up in the 23rd century on the eager arm of a gorgeous fellow Shifter. Bree battles the dread that Finn might be better off with someone less chronologically complicated. Her worst fear is confirmed when Finn becomes the kidnapper’s next victim. She realizes that she alone has the power to save herself and everyone she loves. To do that, she may lose Finn forever.

Voyage of the Basilisk: A Memoir by Lady Trent (A Natural History of Dragons #3), by Marie Brennan, (March 31, Tor)
Six years after her perilous exploits in Eriga, Isabella embarks on her most ambitious expedition yet: a two-year trip around the world to study all manner of dragons in every place they might be found. From feathered serpents sunning themselves in the ruins of a fallen civilization to the mighty sea serpents of the tropics, these creatures are a source of both endless fascination and frequent peril. Accompanying her is not only her young son, Jake, but a chivalrous foreign archaeologist whose interests converge with Isabella’s in ways both professional and personal. Science is the primary objective of the voyage, but Isabella’s life is rarely so simple. She must cope with storms, shipwrecks, intrigue, and warfare, even as she makes a discovery that offers a revolutionary new insight into the ancient history of dragons.

Ballroom Blitz: A Tor.Com Original, by Veronica Schanoes, (April 1, Tor)
A contemporary fairy tale about a young man, who with his eleven brothers, have been cursed to remain in a rock club for their bad behavior. Their only shot at freedom might be the twelve sisters who one day enter the club. (ebook only)

Moonlight and Diamonds, by Michele Hauf, (April 1, Harlequin Nocturne)
Werewolf Stryke Saint-Pierre knows Paris socialite Blyss Sauveterre must be handled carefully. She once used their sizzling attraction to steal an infamous diamond, and he won’t risk her manipulating him again. Blyss cannot let the brooding werewolf know that these heists pay for an elixir to keep her wolf at bay, and they’ve kept her safe until now. When her latest raid puts a pack of deadly demons on her trail, Blyss knows Stryke is her only hope. On the run and in danger, dare Blyss let her inner wolf run wild with the one man who’s ever got close to her heart? (ebook only)

The Conformity (The Incarcerado Trilogy #3), by John Hornor Jacobs, (April 1, Carolrhoda Books)
Mr. Quincrux is dead. Armistead Lucius Priest, founder of the Society of Extranaturals, is now seated uneasily in his protégés flesh, and though Priest’s powers are not inconsiderable, the Conformity will not settle for the second-brightest flame in the etheric heights. It will confront Shreve. But it will have to find him first. Under the protection of Mr. Negata, Jack, and the rest of the Irregulars, Shreve retreats to the wild to face his demons and prepare his mind for one more battle.

The Gemini Effect, by Chuck Grossart, (April 1, 47North)
A single raindrop opens a Pandora’s box when the spawn of perverse genetic research performed during World War II is unleashed on an unsuspecting modern world. By dawn, only a dead city remains, eerily quiet and still, except for mutant beasts that hide from the light, multiply, and await the shadows of night to continue their relentless advance. Ordered to investigate the unfolding crisis, biowarfare specialist Carolyn Ridenour barely escapes the creatures’ nocturnal onslaught, saved in the nick of time by Colonel Garrett Hoffman, who lost hundreds of his troops to a swarm that neither bombs nor bullets can stop. As Carolyn and Garrett race to stop the plague, a battered and broken government prepares to release the fury of America’s nuclear arsenal on its own soil and its own citizens.

The small print: This contest is international to any place Book Depository ships. Contests end at midnight CDT U.S. on Saturday, and winners will be announced on Sunday’s blog. It’s the responsibility of the winner to contact me with their mailing info.

Holy cow! Talk about making hard decisions! First choice would be “Hard as a Rock”….closet thing to gargoyles in this group, second choice would be “The Unleashing” because the premise sounds so interesting! What a round up of book selections!

Well crap- there are about 6 of these on my wishlist but Etherworld (Elusion #2), by Claudia Gabel gets my vote as I just got book one and I’ve been waiting for book 2 to come out so I could read them back to back.

David Gibbon’s new book, Pyramid (Jack Howard #8), (March 31, Dell); Instinct (Chronicles of Nick #6), by Sherrilyn Kenyon, March 31, St. Martin’s Griffin); Voyage of the Basilisk: A Memoir by Lady Trent (A Natural History of Dragons #3), by Marie Brennan, (March 31, Tor); and Gemini Effect, by Chuck Grossart, (April 1, 47North). To name a few! Dang!! This is a fantastic grouping! Love’em! (and shared them with the kindle group)